Thoughtful Thursday – On Cover Models

NOW AND ALWAYS on the Cover of RT -- Courtesy of Romantic Times MagazineFor the past couple of years I’ve been headed to the RT Convention to meet booksellers, fellow writers and the amazing readers of romance.

Notice I didn’t mention the cover models. Much as I appreciate a good cover model (such as the one that appeared on my first book in 1999 and which also happened to grace the cover of RT), I sometimes worry whether putting so much focus on them loses sight of what’s between the covers. (Don’t worry, Gretchen, I will try to get that photo of Adrian Paul for you!).

I do like meeting the cover models as people though, since many of them are such wonderful down-to-earth guys.

And yes, I’m guilty of this fascination with six packs and firm buns since I love a good Guilty Pleasure as we all do on Monday mornings. But I know what I like even more — the story between the covers!

How do you feel about the cover models and our fascination with them? Do you ever buy a book just on the basis of the man on the cover?

I know that I certainly will pick up a book with a nice hunk on the cover, but not necessarily buy it after I read the jacket blurb. Of course, there are covers which don’t have nearly naked men on them and which catch my eye.

Here’s your chance to weigh in on the cover models! Love ’em, hate ’em, indifferent. Which are you?

17 Replies to “Thoughtful Thursday – On Cover Models”

  1. Yes, Adrian Paul will be at the convention. I hope he still looks good and I will definitely try to get a picture.

    Thanks for the comments about the Raven Hour Podcast. I had load of fun with them!

  2. I love looking at cover models. But I won’t just buy a book with a hot guy on he cover. Sometimes I don’t like if the cover model doesn’t match the guy in the book.
    I heard you mention Adrian Paul? Is he going to be at the convention. I love Adrian Paul. I’m sure I’m not alone with that.
    BTW, I listened to you on the ravenpodcast last night. Was a great interview.

  3. I’m a cover junkie. I readily admit it.
    After all, I owe Fabio for getting me to read my first romance novel, Warrior’s Woman.
    They don’t make men who look like that around here….

  4. Also the Linda Lael Miller books with Mojo Sheepshanks as the main character (again I found these very funny in a kind of sick and twisted way). The covers made me think western – cowboys and horses etc. and there wasn’t a single one of either in the books.

  5. I have to say that the content of the cover does deliver an expectation though. I read a LOT of romantic suspense and I was a little bit thrown with the two Linda Howard books I’ve recently read where the covers said dark romantic suspense and they were wretchedly funny. So funny in fact that I forgave the covers. The cheerleader Blair books. I love that character.

    gj

  6. I enjoy the cover models, but I don’t buy the book for the cover. The cover may make me pick it up but I alway read the blurp on the back and then go from there.

  7. The covers (and cover models) are the
    last thing I consider when I purchase a
    book! It would take Adrian Paul or
    David Boreanaz on the cover to in any
    way influence my purchase of a book! Oh,
    maybe if one these gentlemen were to
    actually hand me a book, then I would
    prize that cover forever, since he had
    touched it!! LOL!!!

    Pat Cochran

  8. Cover models have absolutely nothing to do with whether I buy a book or not. They seldom get me to pick up a book.

  9. Me, too. I’d rather get to know the characters than find out a lot about how they look and/or dress (for the most part).

  10. A great looking cover does grab my attention, but as you said if the story sounds blah I will not buy it! Give me a great story and I will create my own mental image for the characters!!! 🙂

  11. Just his autograph?

    LOL on the fake abs. I hated that in that 300 movie! Here were totally buff guys and they used make-up to make them look more buff, but it was really really obvious!

  12. It happens a lot that the cover has nothing to do with the guts. I’ve been lucky that most of mine have made sense, although we did add a tattoo on one cover (TEMPTATION CALLS) that I never mentioned in the book.

  13. Now who said I was worried? I have complete and utter confidence in you and your ability to charm a cover model out of his autograph…

    I actually have mixed feelings about cover models. Most of the contemporaries I can get with but a lot of the historicals are just funny. I swear I saw one recently where the six pack was an obvious add on. You know like when they do that sculpting thing with the chest hair to make it look like the guy is more cut than he really is? It’s the sort of thing George on Seinfeld would do and be utterly proud of.

  14. I enjoy the cover models also. However, many times the cover has nothing to do with the story (I guess that’s why they say that you can’t tell a book by its cover!). I bothers me because I then feel as if the publisher has no idea about what is going on. I agree with you, I check the back of the book before I buy anyway.

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